Lawsuits

Sean Penn Sues Lee Daniels for $10 Million

Defending his Empire star Terrence Howard in The Hollywood Reporter, Lee Daniels compared the actor to Marlon Brando and Sean Penn—and has been sued for defamation, to the tune of $10 million, by Penn for it.

In a wide-ranging feature about Empire, Daniels alleged that charges of domestic abuse have turned Howard into “some fucking demon” only because of race: “[Terrence] ain’t done nothing different than Marlon Brando or Sean Penn,” Daniels said. In a lawsuit filed on Tuesday, according to the Reporter, Penn seeks $10 million in damages; the lawsuit claims that Penn will “no longer tolerate the reckless and malicious behavior of others, who seek to aggrandize themselves or their projects at his expense.”

Daniels is likely referring to Penn’s four-year marriage to Madonna; though the exes seem to now be on pretty good terms, stories of Penn’s alleged abuse during the union are hard to forget. Despite the charitable work Penn has done since then, on top of the two Oscars he’s won, many people can only remember the vivid story told in Christopher Andersen’sMadonna: Unauthorized about Penn allegedly tying Madonna to a chair for hours and beating her.

Penn has never been arrested or convicted for domestic violence; he has, however, been charged with assault multiple times, and in 1987 served 33 days in jail after assaulting a photographer.

For more on Madonna and Sean Penn’s tumultuous marriage, listen to this episode of the always-great podcast You Must Remember This.